Chapter 90 Let's build a big warehouse: Let's bring over Chinese TV dramas.
With such a positive and enthusiastic attitude from the Galatz steel plant, was Wang Xiao's heart fluttering?
Well, she was tempted, but she refused outright. She just gave a perfunctory answer, saying that such a big matter needed to be reported to her superiors.
Why didn't she cherish this golden opportunity that came to her door?
They could have bought steel cheaply in Romania and sold it in China at a higher price, and then bought light industrial products cheaply in China and sold them in Romania at a higher price.
She's crazy to think she could have it both ways!
Even Wang Tiejun was puzzled. His daughter had always been in foreign trade, so why was she unhappy?
Wang Xiao could only whisper in Old Wang's ear, "I dare not do it. Dad, do you think his factory is operating normally?"
Wang Tiejun was puzzled. He had inspected the iron ore, and it was fine. The factory's machinery and equipment were also in good condition.
Romania is a well-known steel-producing country. In 1985, its per capita steel production reached 605 kilograms, ranking seventh in the world, and its per capita steel ownership was twice that of the United States.
"It's more expensive than mineral-rich countries like the Soviet Union and Australia. Yet, 86% of our iron ore and 60% of our coke have to be imported. And last November, the leu depreciated sharply, with the official exchange rate at 180 lei to 1 US dollar. With unsold stock and soaring raw material prices, where are the steel mills going to get the money to maintain normal production?"
From a practical standpoint, the steel mill's decision to switch to retail and wholesale is not inherently flawed. However, the problem lies in its lack of a stable source of goods for barter trade. Why should Wang Xiao take this risk with it?
For the sake of great friendship, for the sake of international influence?
She's out of her mind, eagerly choosing to be a sucker like this.
Haven't we learned enough lessons from the 1986 Deburg incident?
They were talking about "long live friendship," yet they dared to accept a shoddy 5,000-ton ocean liner as qualified by the Chinese side. The result? A serious maritime disaster occurred on its maiden voyage, with only two of the 35 crew members surviving.
If we dared to agree to that today, the Galatz steel mill would probably dare to ask for credit, paying only after we receive payment.
However, the Romanian economy is in a difficult period, and the government does not dare to say that the official currency, the lei, can stabilize the exchange rate; by the time they receive their payments, the price will plummet, and who will bear the losses?
Secondly, well, Romanian factories are currently in a state of overlapping socialism and capitalism.
Factory leaders are not appointed by higher authorities nor funded by the factory itself, but are elected by the workers.
Doesn't that sound incredibly democratic and wonderful?
The problem is that in order to gain the workers' support, factory leaders have to find ways to please them.
How to please him? Do less work, get more money, and don't bother with me. He's the most popular and wonderful boss in the world.
For example, in the current situation of extreme scarcity of light industrial products, hot-selling goods obtained on credit from China are sold to workers at low prices and then resold at high prices.
For example, after selling the goods, the factory would distribute the proceeds without hesitation; then the second batch of goods would be delivered on credit.
Thirdly, let's assume, hypothetically speaking, that Galatz Steel Plant is exceptionally noble, principled, and far-sighted, and wants to cooperate with Jiangdong Shipyard in the business of selling Chinese goods for a long time. Would it be able to succeed then?
Each profession has its own expertise.
Let alone Romania, which has only just begun its economic reforms, even China, which has been implementing reform and opening up for more than a decade, has a well-known problem: state-owned factories are rigid in their thinking and not good at responding to market changes.
How could a steel mill operating under a standard planned economy suddenly transform into a retail giant? Forget it, she wouldn't believe it if it dared to boast.
Therefore, she is not optimistic about a long-term partnership with the Galatz steel plant.
At most, it's just a matter of how much steel she can provide and how much she organizes to send over in an equivalent exchange.
Buying and selling is based on a single transaction, not on a long-term commitment.
Must be in physical stock; loans are not accepted.
On the way back to Bucharest, Ivanov was the happiest. He was genuinely afraid that Wang Xiao would change his mind and decide to establish a deeper presence in Romania.
Honestly, Romania's attitude towards Chinese citizens is clearly superior to Romania's at present.
For example, when they crossed the border from Russia to Ukraine, the customs and border control were practically keeping a close eye on the Wang family father and daughter and Qiangqiang.
They squeezed out all the toothpaste they carried, cut the soap into pieces to examine it, and made them take off their clothes for inspection.
Finally, Wang Xiao threatened to expose the Russian customs officials' blatant molestation of women internationally, and only then did the customs officials reluctantly send a female staff member to inspect her.
Given such a terrible experience, it's perfectly normal for Wang Xiao to want to switch tracks.
But Ivanov didn't want to.
In essence, or rather compared to Wang Xiao, he actually belongs to the "laissez-faire" camp.
It's not that he can't get up and work, but someone has to pull him along, otherwise his lazy nature will kick in from time to time.
Anyway, we've already made so much money.
But now, a mere people's palace has made him fully aware of his poverty and destitution. He can't lie down if he wants to, and he needs someone to motivate him if he wants to get his motivation up.
If Wang Xiao shifts his focus to Romania, his value as a business partner will definitely decrease dramatically.
Adult relationships are very realistic; once you're no longer in the same social circle, even the best relationships will gradually drift apart.
Therefore, for Ivanov, it is most appropriate for everyone to continue to cultivate their relationships in Russia and the former Soviet Union.
That evening, when everyone went to a restaurant called "Golden Apple" for dinner, Ivanov quietly expressed his relief.
Wang Xiao felt a rare pity for him.
Indeed, ever since the collapse of the Soviet Union, this guy has always been plagued by anxieties, fluctuating between arrogance and inferiority.
"Don't get your hopes up, that's impossible. Moscow's status is what it is, its transportation network, its long-standing influence—it's enough to attract all the CIS countries, as well as Eastern Europe and even the Middle East, to come and buy goods. Bucharest's reach is much narrower, at most within Romania and, I see, Bulgaria, Moldova, and Ukraine, which have long-distance buses that can come to buy goods. The two are not on the same level at all."
Ivanov immediately perked up, then grinned broadly: "I told you Romania was no good, terrible."
No sooner had he finished speaking than the voices of several intellectuals at the next table drifted over: "It's true, our Pravda newspaper is initiating the establishment of a commodity exchange comprised of banks, private businessmen, and our newspaper, with import and export rights. Your People's Daily could cooperate with us to set up a specialty store in Bucharest that deals exclusively in Chinese goods. You wouldn't need to advertise to open up sales channels in Romania."
Those at the table who understood their conversation all turned to look. But the Chinese guests, with their backs to them, didn't notice their presence.
Ivanov muttered under his breath in Russian, "They're all dreaming."
Wang Xiao also smiled and lowered his voice: "As expected of Pravda, they're quick-witted and have already seen the bright future."
Ivanov asked curiously, "What, you're planning to cooperate with them?"
Wang Xiao shook his head: "No, his family background is too mixed. Listen, they're a banker, a private industrialist, and a newspaper owner. They might start fighting amongst themselves first."
"Then you're not going to get involved?" Ivanov asked suspiciously.
She wouldn't be so enthusiastic about just 12,000 tons of steel.
“We won’t interfere with them; we’ll do it on our own,” Wang Xiao explained. “A big problem in Bucharest right now is the lack of a unified, large-scale wholesale market. We have the Huaxia Commercial Street in Moscow, and the newly acquired street that serves as a warehouse. In Bucharest, we need a similar warehousing market.”
She explained, "First of all, everyone is currently selling through kiosks, with one kiosk every so often. While this avoids price wars, it also means that customers who want to buy a lot of things have to go to many different places, which is quite inconvenient."
Secondly, merchants from other parts of Romania who wanted to buy goods in Bucharest could not find a place to do so.
Furthermore, everyone is currently renting, so they can only take a small amount of goods at a time; there's simply no place to store more. Once they're sold out, they have to restock, which takes a lot of time. They need a warehouse to store their goods.
Ivanov exclaimed in surprise, "I thought you were going to buy the whole street. Sigh, Romanians are so stingy, they won't let foreigners buy shops at all."
Wang Xiao rolled her eyes at him: "Even if you tell us to buy, we can't. A shop can't survive without local bullies watching over it. Who among us has time to keep an eye on things?"
"So, what you mean is?"
“Build a warehouse and then rent it out,” Wang Xiao said ambitiously. “Look at how many factories they have shut down now. Factory warehouses and factory buildings can be used as warehouses, and offices can be used as sales stalls. If there isn’t enough space, we can arrange tin sheds. Right now, it’s a seller’s market, so as long as we build this warehouse, we won’t have to worry about finding tenants. This way, we don’t have to worry about sales, we only have to be responsible for property management, which can make money and save us trouble.”
Ivanov perked up: "Where should we look for factories? Should we go to the Bucharest city government? Should we ask someone to make a connection?"
"Let's go to the embassy," Wang Xiao said after thinking for a moment. "Given the current relationship between China and Romania, the embassy should be quite familiar with the situation here. Let's go to the embassy tomorrow."
After they finished eating, they returned to the family-run guesthouse—which was actually just an ordinary home.
Since the number of Chinese people in Bucharest increased, the resourceful locals have not only found ways to vacate rooms for long-term rental, but some have also simply moved to the countryside or to live with their parents or children, turning the vacant houses into family-run guesthouses.
The price here is higher than renting a room, but lower than a hotel or guesthouse. Plus, it's located on this street where there's a large Chinese community, so it's very popular with newly arrived Chinese people who haven't settled in yet.
Strictly speaking, this should not be allowed according to regulations, but the government seems to be turning a blind eye and not taking any strict measures.
The municipal government leaders, sitting on the sofa in the hotel's cramped common area waiting for Wang Xiao and his entourage, didn't seem to intend to catch them red-handed.
When Brother Ren introduced them to officials from the Bucharest municipal government, Wang Xiao and Ivanov were both stunned.
Wow, this is a bit scary, Romanians are so enthusiastic towards Chinese people?
Brother Ren said smugly, "Foreign guests, you know? Here, we're standard foreign guests, enjoying foreign guest treatment. Let me tell you, once I got on the wrong bus. I asked the driver how to get back, and you know what happened? He just took me back. The thing is, no one on the bus was unhappy. I was stunned. I felt like I'd gone too far, causing them so much trouble."
As for what happened today?
Honestly, he never took the initiative to approach the city leaders of Bucharest.
He was busy setting up his stall and doing business, so he didn't have time to curry favor with the leaders.
However, the Romanian officials were simply too enthusiastic, genuinely treating this group of Chinese businessmen as a diplomatic mission.
After get off work, people don't rush home. Instead, they check out this kiosk today and that kiosk tomorrow, and then drive around in their cars to inspect everything from start to finish, to see if there are any problems that require their intervention.
Today, the municipal government officials came to check on Brother Ren's kiosk.
We often run into each other, so we're pretty much old acquaintances.
Ren Ge handed him a cigarette and then started bragging to people in his broken English.
This gust of wind reached Wang Xiao.
His intention was to flatter the city leaders and to promote Bucharest's future economic development.
Look, even the owner of the famous Huaxia Commercial Street in Moscow has come to Bucharest. Moreover, she was the one who helped them, this group of Chinese businessmen, come to Bucharest in the first place.
It's easy to see that she has high hopes for the development here.
Brother Ren is all talk and no action; he just spouts nonsense.
But to everyone's surprise, this high-ranking official's eyes lit up immediately, and he repeatedly expressed his determination to meet the friends from China.
For the friendship between the two countries.
Pah!
Brother Ren isn't stupid.
For example, friendships between countries, and even between individuals, are all based on shared interests.
Are the Bucharest officials really just there to meet their Chinese friends?
Hey, Xiao Tian is right next to him, but he didn't even glance at the cadre twice.
It's obvious they heard "big boss" and were eyeing it, hoping to attract investment.
How did Brother Ren find out?
Hey! When it comes to economic reforms, China started 10 years earlier than Romania.
This is the typical approach taken by local government leaders in China when they want to attract foreign investment.
No, it's much more exaggerated than that; it was a complete encirclement and suppression.
Although Ren Ge couldn't figure out Wang Xiao's real purpose in coming to Bucharest, he felt that all of a businessman's actions were related to making money.
Money is easy to make in Romania now.
Years of closed-off policies meant that, for a long time, their country's stores had very few foreign goods available.
In their eyes, Chinese goods are synonymous with high-end products. Whether it's pens, toys, porcelain, textiles, or cosmetics, everything is considered good.
That's true. In the past, the products exported by the country were definitely of the highest quality, and the standards were even higher than those supplied to the domestic market.
The government has already built a good reputation for them. Isn't it only natural for Chinese businessmen to enter the market at this time?
So Brother Ren didn't put on airs. After dark, he closed the shop and ate a bottle of milk and a piece of white bread as he led people to the family-run inn.
The officials in Bucharest remarked that the Chinese are indeed simple and frugal.
Despite being a wealthy and powerful boss, he doesn't stay in fancy hotels, but only in family-run guesthouses.
Wang Xiao didn't really think there was anything wrong with family-run guesthouses; the accommodation conditions in Romania were quite good.
This four-bedroom, one-living-room apartment not only has four bedrooms, but also two bathrooms, and it even has heating.
Although the temperature inside the house was only ten degrees Celsius due to fuel shortages, it was still acceptable.
Moreover, the floor was carpeted, the walls were adorned with oil paintings, and the windows were carved with flowers; it was quite exquisite.
After Ren finished his introduction, he left.
He still needs to go back and iron the clothes; if he doesn't tidy them up properly, he won't be able to sell them for a high price.
After exchanging pleasantries with the people, Wang Xiao dutifully acted as the translator, allowing her father, Comrade Wang Tiejun, to fully express his excitement.
He has a deep affection for Romania.
The cinema in the steel mill used to show Romanian films every now and then.
Whether it's "For a Better Life," "Waves of the Danube," or "Spring Dreams in the Port City" from the 1950s and 60s, or "The Adventures of Babushka," "Explosion," or "Grand Duke Stefan" from the 1970s, or even "The Mysterious Yellow Rose Series" and "Inspector Mordovan Series" from the 1980s, he knows them all like the back of his hand.
During his training in Taiyuan in the 1950s, he was fortunate enough to get tickets to the Romanian Film Week and watched many films.
In his eyes, every single one of them was wonderful.
Sincerity is always the ultimate weapon.
Wang Tiejun's genuine love for Romanian films made the cadres in Bucharest feel proud as well.
The two talked enthusiastically, reminiscing about the highlights of the movie, and both were beaming with excitement.
In high spirits, they even sang a song from the movie. Although they spoke different languages, the tunes were similar, and they sang along quite well.
Wang Tiejun earnestly emphasized: "Even with such poor conditions in the past, Romania was able to develop very well. Now that conditions are better and Romania has opened up, it will only develop even better in the future."
These words almost brought tears to the eyes of the middle-aged city leader.
It's been incredibly difficult. Since the violent revolution in December 1989, which overthrew what they perceived as a dictatorship and tyrant, the situation in Romania has not improved.
In April 1989, the then government announced that it had paid off its $11 billion foreign debt. At that time, the national monthly income was converted to official prices of $300.
But now, foreign debt has grown from zero to one billion US dollars. Gross industrial output is only 59.6% of what it was in 1989.
Prices are soaring and unemployment is rising. One-third of the seven million households live below the poverty line.
The wonderful life they had hoped for not only failed to materialize, but their situation became even worse.
Wang Tiejun comforted him, saying, "Reform is like crossing a river by feeling for stones. As you gain experience, you'll know what to do next."
As the deputy director of Jiangdong Steel Plant, he spoke these words to the Bucharest city leaders who were two years younger than him, without any arrogance.
We all came from the era of the working class.
Ivanov was already numb from standing next to him.
Haha, so this is what they mean by "the enemy of my enemy is my friend"?
The Soviet Union fostered so many great friendships.
Wang's father is really impressive. He doesn't show off usually, but he proves his worth when it matters.
Seeing that the atmosphere was quite right, Wang Xiao accepted the opportunity offered by the city leader and began somewhat hesitantly, "Actually, this is my first time in Bucharest as well. I've noticed that the shortage of goods in the market is indeed quite serious. And the prices of goods from Western countries are relatively high, which is a heavy burden for the Romanian people."
So what? So I want to set up a warehouse to ship high-quality, low-priced goods from China to Romania to help the Romanian market restore supply and demand stability as soon as possible.
She also cited mainland China and Hong Kong as examples.
In the early 1980s, a large number of Hong Kong goods entered the mainland through the Pearl River Delta, satisfying people's material needs.
Soon after, a large number of Hong Kong businessmen invested in and built factories on the mainland, bringing new technologies and production lines. Some of the products they produced met market demand, while others were exported.
This is a typical processing trade model.
Romania and China have one thing in common: they both adhere to the principle of self-reliance and do everything themselves.
In the 1980s, to pay off foreign debt, Romania exported 76% of its furniture, 85.4% of its textiles, 88.4% of its shoes, 61.3% of its televisions, and 74.9% of its refrigerators.
What does this mean? It means that Romania now has the industrial base to produce these products.
With investment and the introduction of new production equipment, the factory can resume operations and continue selling its products.
To achieve this goal, the first thing to do is to maintain a balance between supply and demand in the domestic market.
Production can only proceed normally under stable conditions.
If there are strikes every few days, no investor will dare to easily pour money in.
Otherwise, the factory would be built, the machines would be in place, and even the workers would be recruited.
Oh dear, they've gone on strike.
I've received the order and am just waiting for it to be delivered on time. But the factory here can't operate, so not only will I have to pay compensation for late delivery, but I've also completely offended my business partner. What's the point of even discussing anything further?
Wang Xiao's words were pointed at something.
Last September, Romania experienced a nationwide strike by unemployed workers, which directly led to the resignation of the Roman government and a subsequent reorganization.
To this day, strikes and demonstrations continue in Romania because wage increases cannot keep up with inflation and unemployment is rising.
No capitalist would want to invest in such a factory.
After carefully listening to Wang Xiao's needs for factory buildings and warehouses, the city leaders of Bucharest recommended a factory that originally specialized in producing office equipment.
Due to a lack of market competitiveness, the factory has been in a state of de facto shutdown since the first half of last year.
If the factory and warehouse are rented out, at least the rent can be used to subsidize the employees' living expenses.
Both parties agreed that city leaders would take them to the factory for an on-site inspection tomorrow to discuss the subsequent leasing arrangements.
It was getting late, so the city leaders took their leave.
Wang Tiejun specially escorted the person downstairs, and even hugged them according to Romanian etiquette, inviting them to have a drink together sometime.
If it weren't for the fact that it was late at night and they were worried about disturbing the neighbors, Wang Xiao seriously suspected that the two of them would have sung a song at the top of their lungs.
Ivanov looked at her suspiciously: "You've been planning to invest in Romania for a while now, haven't you?"
Listen to those strings of data, they just pop out like that.
If she hadn't done her homework beforehand, how would she have known so much?
Wang Xiao said matter-of-factly, "Since we're already here, we should definitely check things out. Come on, let's have a meeting."
What kind of meeting is it?
Let's discuss the next steps.
First, organize the barter trade of light industrial products with the steel mill. Because of the large volume, sea freight is more suitable.
Secondly, we will arrange in-depth cultural promotion.
Judging from the reactions of Comrade Lao Wang and many other speculators, their goodwill towards Romania stems not only from the country's vigorous promotion but also, more than half, from Romanian films they watched during their youth.
Never underestimate the influence of film and television dramas.
Ten or twenty years later, Korean dramas swept across China, and the influence of the Korean wave on Chinese fashion trends reached an astonishing level.
Those who went to South Korea to buy cosmetics and clothing wholesale and then sold them in China made a fortune.
In the era before the internet, television was arguably the most influential medium of communication.
Fewer people are going to the movies now, but more people are watching TV at home.
The most recent film related to China that Romania has shown is "Marco Polo," a 1986 co-production with Italy.
This was told to Ruan Xiaomei by her landlady.
As a housewife who never misses a day of television, the landlady clearly remembers the TV dramas that are on every day.
so what?
So now we need to find a way to get Romanian TV stations to broadcast Chinese dramas.
While Romanians are still interested in Chinese culture, continue to export culture.
The reason why Romanians currently like Chinese goods is that during the long period of isolation, their understanding of foreign products was extremely limited.
Moreover, because both countries were socialist nations opposing the Soviet Union, official media had long promoted them as close allies.
However, with the violent revolution in Romania, the collapse of the Soviet Union, and the end of the Cold War, they could no longer be considered close partners of the socialist camp.
In the future, official related publicity will inevitably have to be reduced.
Moreover, Romania is a European country, and from a geographical perspective, once it broke free from its closed-off state, it was easily influenced by the trends prevalent in Western Europe.
Western Europe, as a developed capitalist country, is rich in material resources and has the inherent advantage of leading the world in fashion.
If Chinese goods want to maintain their popularity in Romania, they must start from the perspective of popular culture.
What kind of TV series will be broadcast?
Although Roman Tam's versions of "Dream of the Red Chamber" and "Water Margin" were bestsellers a couple of years ago, what should be airing now is China's latest modern drama.
In this way, it can also advertise Chinese clothing, so that the Romanian people will still feel that Chinese goods are fashionable even with the influx of Western products.
Ivanov listened and nodded, then thought for a moment and asked her, "Should we do the same on Russian television?"
Wang Xiao smiled: "What do you think?"
After discussing it, the two agreed that Hong Kong dramas would be more suitable for Russian television.
Because Hong Kong films and dramas are more fashionable, the characters are dressed stylishly, and the costumes are bright and novel.
Moreover, Hong Kong films are much more explicit, with punches and pillows being an unbreakable popular formula worldwide.
Hong Kong films with their bizarre and intricate plots and vividly portrayed characters are indeed more likely to be popular with Russian audiences.
Of course, Wang Xiao also had another set of logic, namely that Hong Kong has a typical subtropical monsoon climate.
It is said that people who live in cold regions are more likely to prefer warm places.
Before she transmigrated into the book, she went to Sanya for a trip and felt like she had accidentally entered Northeast China. No matter where she went, all she could hear was the Northeastern accent.
Of those who come to visit, especially those who come to do business, at least eight out of ten are from Northeast China.
Ivanov thought about it carefully, and it seemed to be true.
For example, he himself prefers to vacation in the warm and sunny Black Sea region, such as Gagra and Picunda in Georgia, which are both very nice.
Okay, the Soviet Union no longer exists, so it has nothing to do with him anymore.
With a wistful expression, Ivanov emphasized, "It must be good-looking, and the actors in the TV series must be very beautiful."
Looking at beautiful women can improve his mood.
Wang Xiao's reaction was summed up in two words: "Hehe."
In comparison, it would be easier to broadcast Hong Kong dramas on Russian television.
Because the original Soviet television station had lost its official status and was no longer receiving large sums of government funding, it needed to find its own ways to raise money.
At the same time, private television stations and film and television production companies sprang up like mushrooms after rain.
For them, the commercial value of TV dramas is the most important thing.
Simply put, TV dramas that are broadcast must receive advertising fees.
Otherwise, how would they support their families?
Ivanov has friends who run a private television station, and he also has acquaintances at the former state television station. That way, he won't be at a loss for which side to turn when he needs to pay his respects.
The situation is relatively more complicated in Romania.
They knew nothing about the operation of the local television station and had to find someone to act as a go-between.
Hmm, I'll ask the municipal government leaders tomorrow.
Why are we showing Chinese TV dramas?
The high-sounding explanation is to perpetuate the long-standing friendship between the two countries.
A more personal explanation is that Chinese businessmen really want to watch Chinese dramas.
Why should we satisfy the desire of so few people like you?
Cough cough, it's very simple, we pay for the advertising.
Wang Xiao had already planned it out: he would advertise under the name of the warehouse wholesale market, which would also help the warehouse attract investment.
Well, given her experience in creating popular content at Jiangdong TV, dubbing is actually quite quick; the key is translation.
Romanian television stations should have relevant experience.
The question is, what kind of films should we choose that are suitable for Romania's main audience?
Wang Xiao was interested in conducting a survey, but considering the time, she decided against it.
Just ask the people at the TV station; they know best what the audience likes.
Ivanov didn't care, since most of his original circle of friends were nocturnal creatures anyway.
Calling them at this time to ask what TV series they want to watch is the perfect opportunity.
Wang Xiao quickly took a shower and went to bed.
In any case, she wouldn't overestimate the integrity of Ivanov's circle of friends.
She decided to entrust this task to the Russian manager of Huaxia Commercial Street, using employees and their families as the survey sample to collect statistics on their preferences.
In that case, it wouldn't be considered a baseless attack.
Because the time difference between Moscow and Bucharest is only one hour, and they took a train along the way, Wang Xiao didn't experience any jet lag.
She slept soundly until dawn, feeling refreshed and energized.
The guesthouse offers breakfast, consisting of bread costing 8 lei and milk costing 10 lei, which the owner queued up at the store early in the morning to buy.
Ivanov was overjoyed because this time he was eating bread, and he felt that he was not being ignored.
As a result, the hotel owner excitedly emphasized in broken English that she didn't know how long she would have to wait, but the shop assistant knew that her hotel was currently hosting Chinese guests, so she was specially asked to go to the front to buy it.
She giggled, a kind of proud and happy laugh.
Wang Xiao was so embarrassed that she wished she could dig a hole and crawl into it.
Honestly, she'd rather spend more money to enjoy special privileges. It feels like an equal exchange, so it doesn't matter.
Now, because of her nationality, she is receiving preferential treatment in every way, and she is truly apprehensive.
Ivanov, standing nearby, simply chuckled.
What does it mean to be well-fed but ignorant of the hunger of starving people, a veritable Versailles on earth? This is a perfect example!
Suddenly the bread in my hand felt dry and crumbly. Why was there no butter?
Romania is indeed no good.
The two bodyguards weren't as awkward as their boss. When they were secret agents, being disliked was normal for them, and they were completely unfazed by it.
Well, the white bread in Bucharest still can't compare to the substantial bread in Moscow.
Before leaving, Wang Xiao used the hotel's phone to call back to Jiangdong Provincial Television Station and ask Director Zhang of the Television Department about how to handle the current situation of TV dramas going overseas.
Director Zhang was initially confused and curious as to why she asked this question.
When Director Zhang heard that she wanted to broadcast Chinese TV dramas in Romania, he was completely dumbfounded.
He blurted out, "Are they planning to import 'Journey to the West' or 'Dream of the Red Chamber'?"
The reason he asked this question was that, to date, the only two exported TV series he knew of were "Journey to the West" and "Dream of the Red Chamber".
The former was broadcast in Japan and Southeast Asia, and received a very enthusiastic response.
The latter was approached by West German television two years ago; it turns out that West Germans also enjoy reading the novel "Dream of the Red Chamber".
They compiled the 1987 version of "Dream of the Red Chamber" into 26 episodes, airing one episode every Sunday morning from June 24, 1990 to December 26, 1990.
This is the first Chinese-language film to be shown in Europe.
Wang Xiao was overjoyed. It was good to have a precedent to follow. Following the old rules was better than being completely clueless.
"No, I don't want 'Dream of the Red Chamber'. What I want is a TV series that reflects modern Chinese life, preferably one that reflects the fashion of big cities today."
Wang Xiao spoke fluently, like a cultural ambassador: "I want the Romanian people to feel the fruits of our reform and opening up, to let them know how Chinese people live now, and to promote friendship between the two countries."
This suddenly raised the bar, making Director Zhang involuntarily tense, realizing that this had to be treated as a major event.
He immediately followed up, "Which Romanian TV station? What kind of shows do they want to import?"
He didn't ask how much the other party planned to spend on the film, because the export of TV dramas in this era followed the route of cultural dissemination, aiming for international influence, and never considering making money from it.
After all, China Television basically adopts a policy of appropriation. When they broadcast Hong Kong TV dramas or singers sang other people's songs on TV, they never considered paying copyright fees.
After listening to his rambling questions, Wang Xiao immediately laughed: "That's why they want us to recommend things. They don't know what good films we have. They need to be fashionable and positive, not the old, stale stuff. We need to showcase the splendor of China in this era of dramatic change."
Director Zhang immediately assured him confidently, "I'll report this to the leadership, and we'll discuss it and recommend a list for you."
He's feeling a bit hot-blooded right now, and his whole body feels warm.
Those who haven't experienced the dramatic changes of the times can hardly understand the complex emotions of pride and inferiority that plagued their generation.
When he first went abroad to study after the reform and opening up, he really felt that he and his peers, walking on the streets of Europe, America, Japan and other countries, were like country bumpkins entering the city, or like monkeys from the deep mountains and forests entering the human world.
Seriously, every pore on my body felt uncomfortable; I felt like I could peel off a layer of my skin.
What international influence? They're a joke.
Being able to export "Journey to the West" and "Dream of the Red Chamber" is an honor for all Chinese television professionals.
But to be honest, that only reflects their current level of TV drama production; there are still foreigners who can see the difference.
However, to say that this reflects China's current international influence would be a stretch.
After all, one of these two films is a mythological drama, and the other is a period drama. Moreover, the original works were published a long time ago.
He didn't expect that Romanian television stations would develop such a strong interest in TV dramas depicting the modern lives of ordinary Chinese people so quickly.
Yes, yes, yes, we should choose lighthearted, lively, and relatable films, not serious or didactic ones.
They discovered this during their last visit to Slovakia: serious films have no market; audiences simply don't want to watch them.
They finally have a chance, and they must make a big splash; they absolutely cannot afford to miss.
After hanging up the phone, Wang Xiao tidied up and hurried out.
The municipal government leaders are indeed diligent; they prepared to take people out early in the morning to visit the factory.
On the way, he spoke with a touch of sadness, emphasizing that it was a wonderful factory.
Their products used to sell well both at home and abroad. If they hadn't encountered difficulties, everyone would be busy with production right now, so how could they possibly stop work?
Wang Xiao continued to flatter him, saying, "Difficulties are only temporary, things will definitely get better in the future."
Wang Tiejun nodded in agreement: "That's right, that's right. For example, in Jiangdong, many factories stopped production a couple of years ago. But starting last year, the factories have more orders, and many factories are so busy that they can't complete their production tasks without working overtime. I think Romania will be like that soon."
The city leaders smiled, then began complaining about the previous president.
He believes that Romania's current predicament is entirely due to the dictator's efforts to curb the material and cultural needs of the country's residents, reduce domestic production investment, and be unwilling to spend money on importing the necessary components for machinery and equipment.
It's a classic case of wanting the horse to run but not wanting it to eat grass.
However, while the country was indeed short of money, he was also ambitious and extravagant, spending huge sums of money on various vanity projects, which led to the collapse of the national treasury.
Wang Tiejun nodded earnestly in agreement: "That's right, money should be spent wisely. He should use the money to properly repair the road, and the rest can wait."
The city leader sighed, "That's right. We weren't happy about building the People's Palace back then. But given the circumstances, who dared to say no? This is the bitter fruit of dictatorship, and the Romanian people have to bear it."
Wang Tiejun kept his mouth shut with great caution. As an outsider, he absolutely could not interfere in other people's power struggles and political issues.
If you say the wrong thing, you'll definitely step on a landmine.
Wang Xiao also took the opportunity to change the subject, expressing her hope that the leaders could help make connections, as she wanted to import excellent Chinese TV dramas.
The reason was what she had thought of last night, things she could talk about.
The city leaders were quite surprised and repeated twice, "Television, television."
Romanian television is also in a bit of a mess right now.
Well, in the later years of the previous head of state's rule, television stations also became a tool for him to sing his own praises.
A large number of television programs were cut, their broadcast time was severely reduced, and the content was all about praising individuals and the country, making it dull and boring.
So in the past few years, not many people watched Romanian television.
Everyone secretly installed TV antennas to watch Bulgarian television programs behind their backs. People living near the border would also find ways to watch Yugoslavian television.
So even now, despite the change of their head of state and the enrichment of television programming, the severe loss of viewers has not fundamentally changed.
Moreover, as one of the few remaining socialist countries, is it appropriate for China's TV dramas to be broadcast in Romania at this time?
As a cultural medium, television dramas are meant to disseminate values.
Despite the city leader's constant references to "we are brother countries," he is actually quite vigilant on ideological issues.
After all, we can't afford to be careless.
He didn't want to be seen as a remnant of a dictatorship and then be ousted by angry citizens.
He has his own political ambitions.
Seeing that he didn't respond for a while, Wang Xiao's mind raced, and she realized what he was worried about. She smiled and explained, "Don't worry, our country doesn't export revolution anymore, let alone TV dramas. What we provide is definitely light and enjoyable TV dramas that the Romanian people can relax in after work."
She gave an example to illustrate this point: "In mainland China, there are currently many businessmen from Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, and Southeast Asian countries that practice capitalism. They also watch mainland TV dramas, and no one feels uncomfortable about it."
The city leader was somewhat relieved and smiled, saying he was willing to act as a matchmaker, hoping that the two countries could have more cultural exchanges.
He further emphasized that Romania has also produced some excellent television and film programs in recent years, and he hopes that these programs can be disseminated to China.
Then Wang Xiao started talking to people about how the widespread use of color TVs in China had caused movie theaters to gradually lose their audience, and people preferred to watch TV at home.
Therefore, not to mention Romanian films, many cinemas in China are also experiencing a downturn.
When people weren't watching movies or TV, they would go to video arcades to watch videotapes from Hong Kong and Taiwan.
The Bucharest city leader listened with great interest. If the car hadn't already arrived at the office supplies factory, he could have chatted with the Wang family for another hour or so.
The factory was quiet; apart from the gatekeeper, there was no one else in sight.
The gatekeeper was not willing to come out of the gatehouse just because the person who came was a city leader.
He glanced at them briefly before continuing to drink his wine.
Perhaps because they had been suppressed for so long, Romanians now have a rebellious attitude and are indifferent to government leaders and workplace leaders.
Because the former were elected by them, they can remove these people from office at any time if they are not satisfied.
The city leaders were probably used to this treatment, and they didn't seem too embarrassed even in front of foreign friends.
He acted as a guide himself: "This way, this way is the warehouse, this way is the factory. Back then, they used the best building materials to build it. Look how sturdy it is."
Wang Xiao followed along, slightly disappointed.
Her ideal model is a large factory, with vast warehouses and factory buildings, and rows of administrative buildings.
At present, this can only be considered a medium-sized factory at best.
It's still too young for her.
However, after thinking about it in her mind, she decided that it wouldn't be unusable as long as it was made do.
For example, a large vacant lot can be used to grow vegetables, or rather, to build tin shacks.
When there aren't enough wholesale stalls available, the tin sheds will come in handy.
She discussed it with Ivanov for a few minutes, walked around the factory area, and finally decided: look at a few more factories, and if there is no better one, this will be it.
Wang Xiao expressed his position to the city leaders.
The other party immediately looked troubled.
There are indeed many factories that have stopped operating in Bucharest, but most of them are in a state of partial shutdown. That is to say, although the machines in the factory are no longer running, the employees still come to check on things from time to time.
Leaving such a factory vacant for rent could easily provoke a backlash from employees.
Of course, the real reason he didn't say it was that this office supplies and equipment manufacturer was the one in the worst financial situation he knew of.
It urgently needs rent to subsidize workers' income.
"No, this factory is the most suitable one now."
Well, Wang Xiao and Ivanov didn't dwell on it much.
Although the factory's conditions were ordinary, its transportation was relatively convenient. It had wide roads and a large river next to it, the kind that ocean-going ships could sail directly in.
This is a major positive factor for logistics.
It's important to understand that each change of transportation means a temporary halt in logistics, requiring significant time, manpower, and economic costs.
Now that we have this great river and port, boats can come directly in and be transferred to trucks for transport, which is both convenient and fast.
Once Party A has given its initial approval, we can start negotiating the lease with the factory.
To the embarrassment of the city leaders, the factory director and others who were supposed to arrive early to accompany them to visit the factory did not arrive until almost lunchtime.
Moreover, as soon as the factory manager appeared, he emphasized with a stern face: "I object. We cannot sell out our country and hand over Romanian factories to foreigners."
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